Uttrykket supergruppe kom til seint i 1960-åra for å skildre ei musikkgruppe der bandmedlemmane alt var kjende som individuelle artistar eller frå andre band.supergroup - Definition at the #1 Online Dictionary I somme tilfelle vart eit band seinare kalla ei supergruppe om fleire av bandmedlemmane frå denne gruppa seinare vart kjende kvar for seg. Supergrupper har ofte vore kortvarige, og berre vart eit album eller to, sjølv om dette ikkje alltid er tilfelle. Dei vert stundom starta som eit sideprosjekt, og ikkje meint å vere permanent, medan andre gonger kan det verte hovudprosjektet til bandmedlemmane.
Somme døme på dei mest kjende supergruppene er Cream, Blind Faith og Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young i 1960-åra, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Humble Pie, Cactus, Toto og Bad Company i 1970-åra, Band Aid, USA for Africa, The Firm, Traveling Wilburys, Asia, Damn Yankees, Power Station og The Highwaymen i 1980- og 1990-åra, og The Damned Things, A Perfect Circle, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver, Another Animal, Damageplan, Angels & Airwaves, Chickenfoot, Zwan, Hellyeah, Child Rebel Soldier, Murderdolls, Golden Smog, Black Country Communion, Tinted Windows, The Dead Weather, Them Crooked Vultures, Liquid Tension Experiment, Seemless, Vital Tech Tones og Monsters of Folk i 2000-åra. Kategorien er derimot ikkje fast definert.
Uttrykket kom frå albumet Super Session frå 1968 med Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield og Stephen Stills. Bandet Crosby, Stills & Nash (seinare Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) er eit anna tidleg døme, der kvar av dei hadde hatt suksess i tidlegare band (The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield og The Hollies). I 1969 kalla Rolling Stone-redaktør Jann Wenner Cream for den første supergruppa. Musikkjournalistar har òg nytta uttrykket om grupper så har seld særs mykje plater og halde massive konsertar, sjølv om dei ikkje var kjende før dei starta i bandet. Dette har vore band som Led Zeppelin, der berre Jimmy Page var kjend før bandet starta, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Genesis og Yes.
Kjende grupper Starta Band/prosjekt Medlemmar Merknadar Referansar 1966 Cream Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers) Jack Bruce (Graham Bond Organisation, Manfred Mann) Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation) Album: Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire, Goodbye 1968 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young David Crosby (The Byrds) Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield) Graham Nash (The Hollies)
Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield) kom med i 1969, før han slutta og sporadisk spelte med dei dei neste tiåra Album: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Déjà Vu, CSN, Daylight Again, American Dream, Live It Up, After the Storm og Looking Forward and tre konsertalbum 1969 Blind Faith Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream) Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation, Cream) Steve Winwood (Traffic, The Spencer Davis Group) Ric Grech (Family) Album: Blind Faith Humble Pie Steve Marriott (The Small Faces) Peter Frampton (The Herd) Greg Ridley (Spooky Tooth) Clem Clempson (Colosseum) Jerry Shirley Albums: Humble Pie, Smokin', og andre 1970 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Keith Emerson (The Nice) Greg Lake (The Gods, King Crimson) Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) Album: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Tarkus, Trilogy, og fleire Ginger Baker's Air Force Ginger Baker (Cream, Graham Bond Organisation, Blind Faith) Steve Winwood (Traffic, Blind Faith) Ric Grech (Family, Blind Faith) Graham Bond (Graham Bond Organisation) Denny Laine (The Moody Blues) Album: Ginger Baker's Air Force, Ginger Baker's Air Force 2 1971 Captain Beyond Rod Evans (Deep Purple) Larry «Rhino» Reinhardt (Iron Butterfly) Lee Dorman (Iron Butterfly) Bobby Caldwell (Johnny Winter) Album: Captain Beyond, Sufficiently Breathless, Far Beyond a Distant Sun - Live Arlington, Texas og fleire 1973 Journey Gregg Rolie (Santana) Neal Schon (Santana) George Tickner (Frumious Bandersnatch) Ross Valory (Steve Miller Band) Prairie Prince (The Tubes)
Aynsley Dunbar (The Jeff Beck Group, Frank Zappa, David Bowie) erstatta Prince i 1974 Albums Journey, Look into the Future, Next, og fleire Bad Company Paul Rodgers (Free) Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople) Boz Burrell (King Crimson, solo) Simon Kirke (Free) Album: Bad Company, Straight Shooter, Run With the Pack og fleire 1975 Sonic's Rendezvous Band Fred «Sonic» Smith (MC5) Scott Morgan (The Rationals) Scott Asheton (The Stooges) Gary Rassmussen(The Up) Album: Sweet Nothing (1999), City Slang (2000), Sonic's Rendezvous Band (Box Set) (2006), Masonic Temple, Detroit 1978 (2007) 1977 U.K. John Wetton (Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep) Allan Holdsworth (Igginbottom, Tempest, Soft Machine) Eddie Jobson (Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa, 801) Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)
Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa) erstatta Bruford i 1978 Album: U.K. (1978)Danger Money (1979) 1981 New Race Rob Younger (Radio Birdman) Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) Warwick Gilbert (Radio Birdman) Ron Asheton (The Stooges) Dennis Thompson (MC5) Album: The First and Last 1982 Asia John Wetton (Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep) Steve Howe (Yes) Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Emerson, Lake & Palmer) Geoff Downes (The Buggles, Yes) Album: Asia, Alpha, Astra, Phoenix 1983 The Glove Robert Smith (The Cure) Steven Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees) Album: Blue Sunshine (1983) 1984 Hindu Love Gods Warren Zevon Peter Buck (R.E.M.) Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Bill Berry (R.E.M.) Album: Hindu Love Gods (1990) The Firm Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) Jimmy Page (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin) Tony Franklin (Roy Harper) Chris Slade (Uriah Heep, Manfred Mann's Earth Band) Album: The Firm, Mean Business Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave (The Birthday Party) Mick Harvey (Crime and the City Solution, The Birthday Party, etc.) Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten) Barry Adamson (Magazine) Hugo Race (The Wreckery, solo) Tomas Wylder (Die Haut) Album: For full diskografi, sjå Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 1985 The Highwaymen Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings Willie Nelson Kris Kristofferson Album: Highwayman, Highwayman 2, The Road Goes on Forever Gogmagog Paul Di'Anno (Iron Maiden) Janick Gers (White Spirit, Gillan) Pete Willis (Def Leppard) Neil Murray (Colosseum II, Whitesnake, Gary Moore) Clive Burr (Samson, Iron Maiden, Alcatrazz) Album: I Will Be There 1988 Blue Murder John Sykes (Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) Ray Gillen (Black Sabbath, Phenomena) Tony Franklin (The Firm, Jimmy Page) Cozy Powell (The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, The Michael Schenker Group, Whitesnake, Emerson, Lake & Powell)
Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Ozzy Osbourne, King Kobra) erstatta Powell i 1988. Gillen forlet bandet kort tid etter det starta, og Sykes tok over på vokal Album: Blue Murder, Nothin' But Trouble Traveling Wilburys George Harrison (The Beatles) Bob Dylan Tom Petty (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra, The Move) Roy Orbison Album: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 1989 Electronic Bernard Sumner (Joy Division, New Order) Johnny Marr (The Smiths) Stundom i lag med: Karl Bartos (Kraftwerk) Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) Album: Electronic (1991) Raise the Pressure (1996) Twisted Tenderness (1999)Temple of the Dog Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) Stone Gossard (Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam) Jeff Ament (Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam) Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) Album: Temple of the Dog (1990) 1994The Backbeat Band Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum) Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Greg Dulli (The Afghan Whigs) Don Fleming (Gumball) Album: Backbeat soundtrack (1994) 1996Westside Connection Ice Cube WC Mack 10 Album: Bow Down (1996)Terrorist Threats (2003) 1998Liquid Tension Experiment Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) John Petrucci (Dream Theater) Jordan Rudess (Dixie Dregs) Tony Levin (King Crimson) Album: Liquid Tension Experiment (1999)Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999)Spentaneous Combustion (2007)When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago (2009) 2001 Audioslave Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, solo) Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Lock Up) Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine) Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine) Album: Audioslave (2002), Out of Exile (2005), Revelations (2006) Oysterhead Trey Anastasio (Phish) Les Claypool (Primus) Stewart Copeland (Curved Air, The Police) Album: The Grand Pecking Order (2001)2002 Velvet Revolver Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) Slash (Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit) Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Loaded, The Fartz) Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Hawk, The Cult) Dave Kushner (Wasted Youth, Electric Love Hogs, Loaded) Album: Contraband (2004), Libertad (2007) 2006 Heaven and Hell Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Rick Derringer, Dio, Hear 'n Aid) Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath, GZR) Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Elf, Rainbow, Dio, Hear 'n Aid) Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Rock Aid Armenia) Album: Live from Radio City Music Hall (2007), The Devil You Know (2009)2007 Child Rebel Soldier Kanye West Lupe Fiasco Pharrell Williams 2008 Apparatjik Guy Berryman (Coldplay) Jonas Bjerre (Mew) Magne Furuholmen (a-ha) Martin Terefe Album: We Are Here, 2010 2009 Them Crooked Vultures Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal) Album: Them Crooked Vultures, 2009 Atoms for Peace Thom Yorke (Radiohead) Flea (The Red Hot Chili Peppers) Nigel Godrich (produsent for Radiohead) Joey Waronker (spelt trommer for m.a. R.E.M, Beck og Smashing Pumpkins Mauro Refosco (David Byrne og Forro in the Dark) Album: TBA
Prosjekt Desse var ofte prosjekt for ein enkelt konsert eller eitt enkelt album, sjølv om somme har spelt meir enn ein konsert.
Starta Band/prosjekt Medlemmar Merknader Referansar 1956 Million Dollar Quartet Elvis Presley Jerry Lee Lewis Carl Perkins Johnny Cash Ei improviser innspeling som seinare vart gjeven ut som ei samling på 47 songar. Utan Presley kom gruppa saman i 1982 (The Survivors Live) og 1986 (Class of '55). 1966 Eric Clapton's Powerhouse Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream) Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) Jack Bruce (John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, Graham Bond Organisation, Cream) Steve Winwood (The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic) Pete York (The Spencer Davis Group) Ben Palmer (tilknytt Clapton) Bandet gav ikkje ut nokre album og dei spelte berre inn tre singlar for Elektra-samlinga What's Shakin'. 1967 The Super Super Blues Band Bo Diddley Muddy Waters Little Walter Howlin' Wolf Album: Super Blues, The Super Super Blues Band 1968 The Dirty Mac John Lennon (The Beatles) Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream) Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) Dei spelte berre ein gong, på The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. 1969 The Plastic Ono Band John Lennon (The Beatles) Yoko Ono Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, The Dirty Mac, Blind Faith) George Harrison (The Beatles) Klaus Voormann (Manfred Mann) Alan White (seinare Yes) Ringo Starr (The Beatles) Keith Moon (The Who) Album: Live Peace in Toronto 1969, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, Sometime In New York City 1979 The Greedies Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols, The Professionals) Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols, The Professionals, solo) Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy, solo) Opphavleg kalla The Greedy Bastards, spelte inn julesingelen «A Merry Jingle». 1990 The Gak Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) James Hetfield (Metallica) Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses) Axl Rose (Guns N' Roses) Slash (Guns N' Roses)